Ash Herring
“The happiest moment of my life was when I realized that my family was accepting who I am. [I am] a transgender woman, and [in that moment,] I felt like I had this fear taken away. [It was] about two years ago, and I remember realizing that my parents were doing everything they could, and while they weren’t perfect, I finally realized how much effort they were putting in. It’s made my home life a lot better, there have been fewer arguments with my family, and I just feel very liberated. My mom [was the most] accepting when I came out. I was worried before because I didn’t know how accepting she would be, but she’s made appointments to talk to people so I could get help to further who I was and am. On the other hand, my [older] brother sometimes struggles with it because he has a hard time seeing things from my perspective, as he’s had a very different life. In general, I think that community support, whether family, friends or teachers, is the best thing anyone can do to help anyone” – Ash Herring, 10
Your donation will support the student journalists of Parkway West High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

Pronouns: she/her
Grade: 10
Years on staff: 2
What was your favorite childhood TV show? Growing up, I was a huge Disney fan so either Liv and...